Spectacles for light therapy

Abstract

The present invention provides for eyeglasses to deliver light therapy to the wearer. The eyeglass lenses or frames feature an embedded light source in logical and electrical communication with power, sensors, processors, and other components contained within the eyeglasses.

1 . An apparatus for administering light therapy, the apparatus comprising:
 a spectacle frame suitably sized for wearing on a human being and securing one or more optical lenses;   one or more light sources fixedly mounted to provide therapeutic light into an eye of a wearer of the spectacle frame, wherein said therapeutic light comprises blue light.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the light source emits blue light at wavelengths of 450 to 500 nanometers. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the light source emits blue light at wavelengths of 470 to 480 nanometers. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the light source emits between about 2,000 to 3,000 lux of light. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the light source emits green light at wavelengths of 475 to 525 nanometers. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the light source emits green light at wavelengths of 490 to 510 nanometers. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the light emits between about 300 to 400 lux of light. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein apparatus comprises one or light pipes. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the one or more light pipes comprise fiber optic pathways. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the light source emits the blue light onto at least a portion of the one or more optical lenses. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the light source emits the blue light onto at least a portion of the one or more optical lenses. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising a mechanism for controlling an amount of light provided to the eye of the wearer of the spectacle frame. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mechanism for controlling an amount of light may be adjusted by the wearer of the spectacle frame. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mechanism for controlling an amount of light may be adjusted by a processor executing digital software. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mechanism for controlling an amount of light may be adjusted based upon an amount of melatonin measured in the blood of a wearer of the spectacle frames. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mechanism for controlling an amount of light may be adjusted based upon an amount of ambient light to which a wearer of the spectacle frames is exposed. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  additionally comprising a sensor attached to the spectacle frame for measuring an amount of ambient light, wherein the sensor provides an electrical signal to the processor indicative of an amount of ambient light. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising a power source in electrical communication with the one or more lights sources. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.